La Promesse
by Elien101
Summary: Titled in French, but WRITTEN IN PLAIN ENGLISH! A post-Tokyo one-shot fluff with Robin and Starfire, as they curl up on the couch to watch a film Rob's girlfriend picked out- only it's not your average flick... Cuter than it sounds- I promise- and there WILL be plenty of romance (and touching, just FYI). ;-))


**Uuum… Hi. So it's been a while since I've posted anything and up 'til now it's only been **_**Twilight**_** fan fiction (don't judge me)! Anyway, ever since I heard of the new **_**Teen Titans Go **_**shorts that came out (I think) on the month of my big 21****st**** birthday, I started getting that Rob/Star itch all over again. I guess this is a small attempt at soothing that itch before I slip back into obscurity once more.**

**By the way, for those of you **_**Twilight**_**-ers that have been following my story, **_**Prisoner of Heart**_**, I am so sooo sorry for making y'all wait so long. It seems unfair to post this, when I haven't posted for POH forEVER! I promise you, though, once I'm done with my senior year- which should be by spring 2014- I **_**am**_** gonna finish what I've started, even though I sort of moved on from anything **_**Twilight**_** (still enjoy looking back at favorite parts in the books, though, at least every once in a blue moon). I'm not saying y'all have to wait until then for me to post **_**anything**_** regarding POH. All I am saying is I probably won't be as focused on reeeaaally finishing it up 'til I actually graduate (not to be a nag, but school's gotta come first). I'll try to get better at posting whatever/whenever I can, though, I PROMISE!**

**Anyway, back to this one-shot: There aren't any NAMES mentioned in the narration besides a few others that are not Robin or Starfire (actually, I think only Starfire's name is mentioned a couple of times, and just in quotations when Rob's speaking), so it might be a bit confusing at first. Some of these other names you might hear will include a couple famous actors and/or characters (from a film that is being watched), and later an author. There is also one other DC heroine named Huntress (otherwise known as Helena Bertinelli). If anyone's interested as to why I included her in this story, please take a look at the additional comments I've left below, after the very end of this fan-fic.**

**Oh, yeah! And I should probably warn you that this holds a SPOILER for one of the scenes from the musical, **_**Les Miserables**_** (also called 'Les Miz,' for short- just FYI). So I'd recommend that you don't read this unless you've seen it (in the actual stage performance OR in the recently released film version of said musical)… Or if you just aren't really into musicals, period, read at your own risk; 'cuz this is likely gonna be fluff of the cheesy-smellin' kind! ;-)**

**Hope y'all enjoy my first Teen Titans-Rob/Star-tribute! And w/this being my first, please, do go easy on me w/any reviews… :-)**

He didn't know how he'd managed to get himself into this situation, almost three straight hours of watching Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and dozens of other actors dressed in 1800s attire while they sang their lungs out through the _entire_ thing. Actually, he rather liked Hugh Jackman and so did plenty of other guys his age… But other guys do _not_ like musicals. _He_ never liked musicals, not even when his mom used to drag him along to see whatever show was in town on days when the Graysons weren't performing themselves. So why was he stuck here in the commons room, with still another half-hour to go before the film would finally end…?

The main reason was curled up in his arms, where they were laying on the sofa. She used his chest as a pillow, resting the side of her face above his heart and collar bone, her head tucked beneath his chin while she continued watching- transfixed at what was occurring on the television screen. She only allowed him to lie down completely on his back as long as he took his mask off, so she could tell if and/or when he might try falling asleep rather than "participate in observing the film of the singing" with her. Even though he promised he'd never do such a thing to her, he complied with her wishes, especially considering she'd been waiting for this movie to be rentable ever since Huntress had introduced her to the world of musical theater.

_Damn you, Helena…_

He felt his girlfriend's hand clenching the fabric of his shirt, her fingers curled into a tight fist around the material above his chest. Better his uniform than his hand; sometimes his Tamaranian girlfriend would forget to monitor the exertion of her super alien strength. She was getting better with the hugging. He was glad to see she had returned to doing that on a daily basis again. There was an incident a couple weeks before then, where she'd held on a little too hard during one of their boyfriend-girlfriend types of embraces. After a pained gasp and some nasty looking bruises already swelling atop his arms, she was pretty much inconsolable for the next few days, and then exceedingly hesitant to touch by the following week. Now, she was comfortable with herself at maintaining her abilities once more, which made him deliriously happy; a boyfriend who can't even touch his girlfriend _platonically_ was probably the saddest and most nonsensical thing he'd ever heard of (or ever experienced) in a romantic relationship.

Ironic to these thoughts' brief reference towards sadness, he could hear her sniffling again. The room was dark- with the lights having been turned off to give that simulation of being at a private movie theater- but by tilting his head to the side, lifting it up just a little with his eyes glancing downwards, he could see (especially due to the light reflecting from the screen) that her big green orbs had become glassy and her lips slightly puckered, quivering. This was the second time, now- second time where something she saw in the film was making her cry. He couldn't stand it when girls cried, especially his girl. If anything, he should have at least checked to see what this production was about before agreeing to watch it with her. But since it was a musical, he figured the constant singing wouldn't make any of the sad scenes appear quite as disheartening as they might in real life. His first clue really ought to have been when his girlfriend mentioned the title of the musical Huntress suggested to her: _Les Miserables_, quite literally meaning _The Miserable_ in French. He was beginning to feel miserable, himself, having to endure this _and_ his girlfriend's occasional teary-eyed sniffling fits for over two hours.

_**Damn**__ you, Helena- damn you to hell and back…_

Lifting one hand to gently run his fingers through her hair in comforting and repetitive strokes, he turned his attention back to the television screen to see what had upset her this time. He recalled the battle scene that occurred beforehand- true to his word, he paid close attention to what was going on in the story the whole time, as promised to his girlfriend- and now he recognized the character of Eponine, obviously appearing to be severely wounded. Marius, a young man probably about her age (give-or-take a few years older) of whom the girl secretly admired for a long time, now held her trembling form as rain began to fall on them and the surrounding dark, bloodied streets. Eponine smiled up at him weakly, sounding almost out of breath as she rasped her words to him in a simple, yet sweet little tune:

"_Don't you fret, M'sieur Marius,_

_I don't feel any pain._"

She had not confessed her feelings to him yet. Apparently, Eponine felt that she no longer had a chance with Marius- not after he just recently fell in love with another girl she remembered from childhood.

"_A little fall of rain_

_Can hardly hurt me now…_

_You're here. That's all I need to know._"

He felt his girlfriend's hand clench even tighter on the shirt's fabric above his chest area- heard another one of those tell-tale sniffles again.

"_And you will keep me safe,_

_And you will keep me close,_

_And rain will make the flowers grow._"

A choked sound this time and he actually felt the jerk of her chest, as it'd been pressed flush against the side of his, pretty much since the film began. He was momentarily glad that the actual seating space on the sofa was wider than it often looked, otherwise keeping his girlfriend between him and the couch's back probably would have almost made him tip over the cushions' edge even from the slight movement she'd made just now.

"Star, it's okay," he whispered into her ear after brushing a few strands away. His hand was still running its fingers through her hair (still gently and repetitively), while Marius started singing his reply to Eponine, trying to convince her to stay awake.

"I cannot help it," she whispered back, her voice shaking a tad bit. "The resemblance of the scene…" She paused briefly to rub the tears out of her wet glassy eyes before they had a chance to fall.

His brows furrowed. "What resem—"

The hand fisting his shirt released the fabric from its grip, so the tips of her fingers met his lips as she quickly shushed him when Eponine had begun singing to Marius once more.

"_Just hold me now and let it be._

_Shelter me,_

_Comfort me…_"

When the two characters joined in a duet to repeat the sweet and simple little tune from earlier as their chorus, his girlfriend lifted her head from his chest and gave him a quivering smile- with a single tear rolling agonizingly slow, down her cheek. And while the tips of her fingers still lightly pressed against his frowning mouth, she finally replied:

"The aftermath of a battle, the cover of night and rainfall, the way he is holding her…" Slowly, she removed her hand and let it rest palm-down on its original spot atop his chest (this time a bit closer to his heart) as her eyes glanced abashedly away from his. "It reminds me of us, on that day…"

It took only a fraction of a second for him to realize what she meant. A crooked grin gradually adorned his face and he pulled her up by the arm to bring her closer and plant a short tender kiss on her forehead. After letting go of her arm, he waited patiently for the few seconds it took her to resettle herself, and then hugged her to him with both arms wrapped firmly around her middle- making sure she knew he was still there for emotional support, including the next time she might feel the urge to cry (or laugh, or anything else for that matter.) And nearly on cue, she'd sniffled again as the duet slowed to maybe just a beat of silence, right before the two characters each broke off into singing their own words simultaneously at one another- Eponine, leading with her lyrics by only a split second ahead of Marius'.

"_And you will keep me safe, (And I will stay with you,)_"

He saw his girlfriend lift her hand from his chest once more, about to bring it towards the fresh new tears sliding down her face. He stopped her, gently grabbing ahold of said hand and bringing it back to rest directly over his heart this time. She tried to present him with one of those thankful smiles, but her lips were starting to quiver more incessantly and she bit down hard on the bottom of her mouth to prevent yet another sob from escaping.

"_And you will keep me close, (Till you are sleeping,)_"

With the hand that wasn't now holding one of hers atop the 'R' emblem above his heart, he cradled the back of her neck and gently coaxed her towards him. She gratefully accepted his silent offer, burying her face between his shoulder and neck, with her head tucked beneath his chin. He, then, turned so that his nose met her silky-smooth red locks and nuzzled the soft space there for a moment.

Returning his gaze back to the screen, he could see Eponine's eyes were growing dimmer- her trembling and wounded body becoming more still:

"_And rain…_"

He felt his girlfriend barely lift her head from his neck, with probably just one eye watching as Marius echoed Eponine.

"_(And rain)_

_Will make the flowers (Will make the flowers)…_

… _(grow.)_"

Only Marius was able to finish the last word.

His girlfriend brought her one peeping eye away from the television screen, mourning at the loss of who had been among her favorite characters within the cast thus far, as she openly cried into his neck. And while his shoulder grew wet with her tears, he hugged her closer to him, using the thumb of one hand he still had wrapped over her middle to rub soothingly (back and forth) against the exposed skin on her back; the other hand, lifting away from her palm (which she now had clinging to his shirt again) as his fingers returned to the previous repetitive motions, stroking and running through the strands of her hair. He kissed her forehead a second time, told her that everything was okay- that it was just a movie and even if it wasn't, the character's death was still a very peaceful one (considering the circumstances) and she didn't have to suffer anymore.

Her quiet sobbing had steadily come to a stop. After another second of near-complete silence (save for the film that had proceeded onto its next scene), she whispered softly with a fairly dry throat and without lifting her head: "You must promise to me that you will never allow this to happen."

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know what exactly she meant. The situation between Marius and Eponine- up to their final scene together- had been somewhat similar to a certain sticky spot that the two of them were also in at one time. His girlfriend had been the first to confess her feelings for him, but he (on the other hand) was hesitant about admitting the equivalent emotions he felt for her. Yes, he was hesitant for a long time; and she waited patiently _for a long time_. In the end, he finally confessed, yet by what could have been the very last minute. Now, she was asking that he'd swear not to prolong something so important ever again.

The best thing to do probably would have been giving her a straight answer…

"I don't know, Star," he said in a serious tone. His reply had her lifting her face from his neck with a somewhat hurt and bewildered look. "I'm not sure if I can promise not to let _any_ of it happen."

Her furrowed brows knitted even further, concern growing evident in her eyes. His fingers ceased stroking through her hair, as the thumb of his other hand also stopped its motion on her back. She, then, elicited a startled gasp when he all but yanked her entire body to where it was now sprawled right on top of his. Red hair formed a curtain around him while her face hovered above his, still watching him with a confused look that was now mixed with momentary shock. Extending his neck upwards to playfully graze his lips against her earlobe, he murmured the rest of his reply:

"See, the dilemma for me is… I can't promise to never keep you safe," he kissed behind that ear, "or never hold you close…" The kisses traveled down her jaw and she subconsciously leaned her head to one side, giving him better access.

He was too preoccupied at the moment to notice her smiling coyly as her eyes fluttered closed. "You are here, yes…?" She played along, copying the lyrics from earlier. Though, the meaning behind the words remained sincere, just like his.

Pausing at her chin, he removed one arm from where it'd been splayed over her spine, while keeping the other arm wrapped securely around her middle (similar to how it was before). His fingers gently took hold of her chin, bringing it down so that she was directly facing him again. "I'm here," he repeated. However, with the intense look in his exposed blue eyes, it felt and sounded like he was giving her more of a confirmation- or an oath, a pledge.

Herein laid his promise…

She grew lost in it- in his deep stare. "Then, that is all I need," and it was indeed all she needed (in order to see), "to know," for certain, he would keep the promise she'd asked of him. He would never hesitate over his feelings for her, ever again.

And with that, the movie was left completely forgotten, as the distance between their mouths closed. What started off as tender lingering pecks had soon turned into the sucking and nibbling of lips, which then progressed to coaxing her mouth open to allow his tongue entrance; access, approved. Using what little bit of leverage that the couch space offered, he flipped them over so he could be on top and they proceeded with their make-out session, hardly missing a beat. And to think, how just watching a musical about 'the miserable' could make a boyfriend this happy…!?

He gave himself a mental note to thank Huntress, later, for introducing it.

_Bless you, Helena… Bless you, Hugo…_

**Hugo, of course, stands for Victor Hugo- as in the author of the novel that inspired the play… As for my using Helena (or Huntress, for her heroine name), she's just been one of those interesting characters I've come to like, who just happens to be associated with the Bat Family and even the Justice League on occasions. When I was still a bit of a Teen Titan fanatic, I did some digging into some of her background(s) and became more and more interested with how her character could've fit into the show, so I started writing Teen Titan fan-fics that included her- never got to finishing them, though.**

**The **_**Twilight**_** story I mentioned earlier isn't the only writing project that's been neglected. In fact, there are a lot of projects I haven't finished. It's just with college graduation being almost literally around the corner, I've since then been trying to branch off into writing more original stories (in hopes that one day, I might get one published and start writing as part of my actual career). However, stress from school keeps giving me writer's block. Still, I don't think school's the only reason… Maybe it's because I haven't finished all of these fan-fic stories, as well… I've seriously been considering rectifying that.**

**For example, the other stories I've written about how the Titans come to meet Huntress are still saved on my computer. And as of late, I've suddenly become inspired once again to continue with said fan-fic on how a team that Huntress has come to lead eventually meets and/or teams up with Robin's. Then again, I feel I'd be neglecting my **_**Twilight**_** followers for **_**Prisoner of Heart**_**. I'm pretty sure I can come up with a compromise, but it really all depends on how much **_**Teen Titan**_** readers may or may not appreciate this!**

**So pleeeaaase, let me know what you think of this one-shot and whether or not you would like to see more of my Rob/Star fan-fics! Just one review or two at this point would be enough for me. Hope you enjoyed the fluff and/or cheesiness!**

**Elien**


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